Being Human
by argentorum
Summary: What is 'Humanity? Is it a common line of genetic code shared by billions, defining them as human? Is it a common mind set or moral value that unites people regardless of age or race or nationality? Is it a choice? And, more importantly, what happens when a human loses their 'humanity', what do they have left?
1. Scion of Blades

Story time! This is the first chapter of the story Being Human, which showcases the HOTD characters in the world of Alien, with predators thrown in of course.  
A few notes so no one gets confused. This takes place in the future, along the time lines of the Alien movies, where humanity has colonized many planets. I have only seen two of the three alien movies, so I took some liberties with technology along they way.

A lot of my source material for the preds comes from wiki's and the rts game AVP: Extermination, so I expect there will be some mistakes or points that contradict 'canon' but we'll burn that bridge when we come to it. So, without further ado-

**Being Human**

**Chapter 1:** Scion of the Blade

**Beta Syndarious System: Echarsus- 5 years ago**

Smoke rose from the colony of Metion.

Once the city had been a proud settlement. Now, all that remained of it was a smoking ruin.

The hulking walls of durasteel surrounding the colony were breached at a single point, a gaping hole blown through the city's defenses. But one gap was all it took. Within days after the first breach, hours even, the marines' defenses had crumbled, and the humans had succumbed to the Xenomorphs. Now the city was little more than a ruin, a gravestone atop a newly born hive.

The last semblance of human resistance came in the form of marine strike teams, elite forces landing on the planet via drop ship, sent to kill as many aliens as possible, rescue what survivors they could find, and retreat before the deadly claws of the hive could close around them. In the later years of humanity's war against these monstrosities called Xenomorphs, the military had fallen back on the ancient wisdom of Sun Tzu: Come like wind, go like lightning.

Beyond the marines, deadly Predators who sought honor and trophies also prowled the streets. They hunted through the dying colony clad glistening armor and bearing weapons stronger than any steel. They killed the Xenomorphs in droves, coming and going as they pleased. Only the vast number of drones cultivated from the staggering human population of Metinon kept the hunters away from the hive.

Last, lost in the ruins and struggling everyday for survival, were the few human survivors that once lived normal lives on the planet's surface.

They snuck through the streets and kept to the shadows as monster stronger and more numerous then they ran rampant through the city. Unable or unwilling to reach the evacuation zones or the marine drop ships, these humans were stranded there, in the place they once called 'home'.

They numbered less than a hundred, and more of them died every day.

The lucky ones lived barricade in isolated high-rises with contraband military equipment, as much food as they could gather, and the hope that they would remain undiscovered. But those were only the ones with the foresight and the credits to stock up on supplies and weaponry when the first reports of aliens on planet reached their ears. When all hell broke loose, they gathered a few close friends and neighbors, barred their doors, and waited out the storm.

The unlucky one were stuck on the streets below, surviving from day to day by the skin of their teeth and the grace of God above. Some were ex-marines, living life by the rifle at their side, making it through by street smarts and a quick trigger. Some were athletes, always checking over their shoulders and using all their skills to escape the xenomorphs one encounter at a time. Some were nothing special, lucky as luck could be, or living locked inside durasteel warehouses and venturing out only when food ran scarce.

Saeko Busujima was none of these things.

She was a high school student caught in the middle of the conflict by some combination of fate and bad luck. She was only fifteen, a girl by most standards, trapped in a hellish nightmare. But Saeko was something no other human on the planet could claim to be. She was a warrior, and her path was already died red from the blood of defeated enemies.

Living day by day like the other rats trapped in the streets of Metinon, she moved silently throughout the city, clad in a tattered and filthy uniform, worn backpack over her shoulder, and her most prized possession, her katana, sheathed at her hip. Her father had been a sword smith, along with a kendo master and a premier weapons developer at Weyland-Yutani. The traditional Japanese blade she bore was his gift to her for her fourteenth birthday, only a few months past, and the first time she had bested her sword instructor in a duel. Made with the some of the strongest alloys known to man, and forged with the traditional techniques of the ancient Samurai, the katana possessed strength and sharpness rivaling predtech.

To date, the katana was the only reason she still lived.

Currently, Saeko crept silently down a shadowy alley, coming to the back entrance of a supermarket. A steel door barred her way, the handle still intact. She tried it once, muttering in unsurprised frustration as the lock refused to budge.

Saeko didn't know how to pick locks, a mistake of shortsightedness that she swore to rectify if given the chance. Being able to pick locks was _always _a useful skill to have, whatever the circumstance. Of course, with the ever growing number of digital locks these days it might have been better to learn how to hack, not that she could do that either.

She would have to try around the front, the food in her pack would hardly last another two days, and she was on her last bottle of water. The pipe pressure had failed a week ago, meaning that she could no longer rely on tap water and she needed to find a supply. Too bad the front entrance of the store was right off a main road, utterly devoid of the shadows and hiding spots she employed to travel through the city.

Saeko sighed, life at the end of the world was never easy.

Suddenly she froze, all thoughts of supplies and entrances leaving her mind as she pressed herself into the darkness of the recessed doorway. She had felt a change in the air, some sound or movement that her subconscious had interpreted as _danger_. Saeko had long since learned to trust such instincts.

The scratching of claws echoed down the alley, _Aliens_ she noted, throat dry as she eased her katana part way out of its sheath. They were moving quickly, and not a second later three hulking black forms darted past her, jumping from wall to wall. Saeko stood stock still, refusing even to breath until the monsters were past.

Then one of them stopped, its black limbs slowing as its brethren, intent on their purpose, left it behind. The remaining alien turned back towards the doorway recessed into the wall of the supermarket. Slowly, silently it inched towards the door, its claws making no sound against the concrete of the alley way. Yes, it was sure now. It could feel the body heat of prey hidden there, in the crevasse of the flatwall. Closer, closer. The queen would be pleased to have another host. Slowly its claws reached outward, readying to spring around the corner and snatch its prey.

A flash of steel blurred out from the doorway, bifurcating the alien in a single sweep, the next strike splitting the monsters head length wise. The Xenomorph was dead before it hit the ground.

Saeko flicked her sword, sending the acidic blood splattering against the concrete where hissed and bubbled. She wiped the rest on the remains of the aliens body before returning her blade to its sheath. The katana itself was specially made to resist acid, as was the sheath, but a warrior always cleaned her blade after a fight, regardless of the circumstances.

Hiking her backpack up on her shoulders she continued around to the front of the store, her footsteps silent as the wind. She slipped quickly around the side of the supermarket, coming to the entrance, a long storefront with shattered windows and a dark neon sign.

Glancing around one last time, Saeko stepped lithely over a broken window into the store. Inside, the power was out and the back recesses of the store were cloaked in darkness. Pulling a flashlight out of her pack, she scanned through the nearer aisles, looking for food, water, or anything that might be useful.

She found a packet of crackers and two bottles of cheap bear, taking time to shove all of it into her backpack. She didn't especially relish the idea of drinking alcohol, especially not low end stuff like this, but it could be used to sanitize her wounds, should she ever be hurt and somehow still manage to survive. Unfortunately, she found nothing else of value.

Stealing herself, Saeko flipped on her flashlight and drew her sword in a practiced motion as she moved towards the shadowed back sections of the supermarket.

Darkness was no friend to the surviving humans. Aliens and Predators each had ways to _see_ regardless of the shadows and night, but humans had no such advantage. During the day at least, humans could see their enemies coming from a distance away and react, be it to hid or to run. But at night, all you could do was lock yourself into whatever hidey-hole you might find, and pray you were as invisible to _them_ as they were to you.

And the darkness of the supermarket was no kinder than the darkness of the night.

Saeko's light was barely strong enough to reveal the contents of the shelves, so she was forced to rely on her other sense to warn her of danger. A little further into the story she managed to scrounge up a bottle of water and a multi tool (her old one had broken when she tried to force a door open with it a few days ago). But other than that the supermarket barely seemed worth the effort of picking though. Scavengers must have looted the abandoned building at least a dozen times even before the power went out.

Saeko's inner musings were silenced however, when the sound of scratching reached her ears. With a swift flick of her wrist Saeko deactivated the flashlight and slipped it into her pocket. Its minuscule light would only serve as a beacon. Gripping her sword loosely, Saeko slowly edged towards the nearest wall. Her steps were louder against the tiles of the supermarket than she would have liked, but Saeko hoped the wind blowing through the shattered windows was enough to mask the noise. Slowly, ever so slowly, Saeko slide through the darkness until she pressed her back up to concrete wall.

Then she waited, hoping that the silence and stillness of her body would keep her safe from a hunters eyes.

The silence around her was thick, broken only by the occasional scuffling of _something_ moving through the dark isles. It stayed towards the back of the supermarket, so Saeko could neither see it, nor pinpoint its location by sound alone. There was a chance she was being paranoid, that the noise was just the wind moving a plastic bag or some other nonsense. But it was a small chance. The wind had been blowing constantly since she entered the store, yet the noise was neither constant nor did it very with the breeze. A small animal was also out, the surrounding wildlife had long since been picked clean by the aliens, nothing with half a brain ventured into the colony anymore.

Another human was as bad as an alien, just easier to kill.

The worst case scenario would be, of course, a group of predators. Damn near impossible to cut through their armor, and with cloaking and their versatile weaponry Saeko knew fighting even one predator was akin to a death sentence. She'd managed it once, albeit with the help of half a dozen aliens she'd baited into the fight. Saeko hadn't been the winner of that conflict, only the survivor.

Slowly, the young woman began to edge her way towards the windows. She moved only when she heard shuffling, using the noise to cover her own retreat. Saeko eyes were constantly in motion, peering into the darkness around her for the slightest hint of motion.

Which might explain why her foot hit a grocery basket lying on the tiled floor. As it fell over, several cans rolled out of the basket and landed with a loud clatter.

The shuffling sound froze, but Saeko was already sprinting towards the exit. Behind her, Saeko heard a shelf crash to the ground as the thing took off in pursuit. Muscles coiling like a spring, Saeko threw herself through the broken window and rolled when she hit the street outside. Turning, she re-drew her katana and settled into a ready stance as a alien leapt out of the supermarket after her...  
... and was promptly incinerated by a burst of blue plasma.

Only instinct saved Saeko from the same fate as she threw herself sideways even as a second missile hit the ground where she had been standing, the volatile plasma hissing and rippling as it came in contact with the pavement.

Spinning in mid air Saeko caught her first glimpse of the attacker. A predator, standing less than a dozen meters away, with a spear in hand and the plasma cannon on its shoulder already charging up another shot.

Just another day in the life of Saeko Busujima.

She didn't allow herself to think about the impossibility of her survival. She didn't hesitate for an instant with the thought that she might lose. Such trivialities had no place in the mind of a warrior. She only rolled back to her feet, and charged.

Saeko kicked off towards the predator, katana singing as it cut through the air. Her strike was impossibly fast, so fast that her blade seemed to merge with the wind as she closed the gap between her and the predator. Of course, simple speed was not enough to overcome a this foe. The predator leaned to the side, her blade harmless missing its armored torso. But the predator itself was not her target, and her blade struck true, slicing the plasma cannon apart even as Saeko leapt out of the predators range.

She dodged its spear thrust and parried the next attack with similar grace. Then Saeko ducked, letting the predator over extend itself with a sweep of its spear, then she slid forward and let her katana slip almost softly between the gaps in the predator's chest plate with a quiet _hiss_. She drew her blade out of its body and, in a movement so eloquent that it looked practiced, brought her katana off to cut off the predator's head.

It blocked her sword with its spear and buried its fist deep inside of her gut, sending the modern day samurai flying back across the street.

And that was why Saeko hated fighting Predators, they never _went down_.

Even as she hit the pavement Saeko was rolling backwards. She regained her feet as the predator landed in front of her and knocked its spear aside with a flick of her katana. Yet she couldn't dodge entirely, and the spears edge caught her shoulder, adding another cut to her already tattered uniform.

Saeko ducked back again as the predator resumed its barrage of punishing strikes. It was serious now, no more underestimating the human, and the speed and power of its blows increased accordingly. Saeko crouched low and cut at its feet, but the predator only jumped out of range. It descended upon her and Saeko was forced to block its strike. The force behind the blow sent Saeko stumbling sideways and she was put back on the defensive. She dodge and redirected the strikes as best she could, but even still, small cuts began appearing across her body. A gash on the hip, a slash just below the shoulder, a cut barely touching her collar bone.

There is little hope in besting a predator in a straight fight. Not impossible, not beyond the realm of human ability, but a suicidal endeavor all the same. But defeating a predator and surviving as well? It would take Saeko more than simple skill of the sword to emerge from this encounter alive.

When she dodged the next spear strike, Saeko's hand lashed out, her fist catching the predator in the throat. It stumbled back a half step and Saeko retook the offensive. Her katana danced through the air like a silver cyclone, strikes raining down too fast for the eye to follow. Yet her slashes were all blocked or deflected even as she pushed the predator back. Its defense was flawless, but all Saeko needed was one misstep, one little error...

_There._

Saeko slid in close, her shoulder practically touching the predators arm. In one movement she'd gotten too close for the predator to use its spear. It leapt away from her swiftly, just like Saeko expected. Her Katana sang, and the predators left arm, the one not clutching its spear, fell to the ground. She'd severed it at the elbow.

Its howl of pain was cut short as she buried her katana in its throat.

Saeko drew out her sword, cleaned it, sheathed it, and collapsed to the ground a moment later. She grimaced as the pain hit her. The wound on her hip was bleeding profusely, and her entire body was sore from blocking the predator's blows, but she couldn't rest in the middle of the street. She had to move _now_ before the body attracted scavengers.

It was another battle, one perhaps even more painful than her fight with the predator, to get back to her feet. She grabbed her pack from where it had fallen and limped off into the alleyways. She'd need a place to hide before she could bandage her hip, but she'd need to take care of the wound quickly as well. Already she was beginning to feel light headed. The city wasn't kind to weak. Of course, it wasn't especially kind to the strong either, as shown by the dead predator she left lying in the street. Hopefully the aliens would devour its corpse.

She slunk into the foyer of an abandoned apartment complex half a block away before slumping onto a wooden bench. Saeko quickly fished out some gauze and bandages from her bag and wrapped her hip to the best of her abilities after rubbing some antiseptic cream over the gash. She winced as the wound began to sting but patched up her other wounds just as efficiently. She would have to move quickly now. Unfortunately she didn't really get the chance.

Saeko stiffened as she heard something else enter the foyer before her shoulders slumped in defeat. But all the same she turned to face the new threat. Aliens, three of them that had no doubt tracked her down because of the scent of her blood. Saeko let out a weary sigh.

When it rains it pours.

The first alien was impatient, and leapt at her well ahead of its brethren. She easily ducked its outstretched and cut it apart at its waist. Her katana was a weapon of unparallel sharpness after all, her father had designed it with the specific intent of cutting through an alien's thick exoskeleton. She slipped past the spray of its acidic blood as the alien landed on ground behind her with a dull _thump_.

The other two aliens would not be as easy. They flanked her, and even if she had been unwounded Saeko would be hard pressed to deal with two aliens at once. Alone, they were creatures of instinct, predict their first strike and kill them before they could overwhelm you with their vast array of natural weaponry. But a group of two aliens was a force to be reckoned with. They were fast, they were versatile, and each supported the other's movements so well that it was difficult in the extreme to land a killing blow.

Today was not a good day in the life of Saeko Busujima.

She charged the first alien, but it merely leapt up to the ceiling. Its spiked tail lashed at her face and the other alien lunged from behind. Caught between a rock and a hard place Saeko did the only thing she could. She spun and stabbed the second alien through its head with her katana, lunging forward to avoid its claws. But she couldn't dodge the third aliens tail, and it struck deep into her back.

Saeko gasped as the alien wretched her sideways and threw her across the foyer. She collided heavily with the wall and collapsed to the ground an instant later, slumping sideways as the alien advanced on her.

Her vision began to grow blurry and dark, and if she just lied back and let herself slip away, it would all be over in a heartbeat.

But Saeko refused to beaten in such a way. She forced herself upright, bringing her sword to bear. With the last of her strength she knocked the monster's clawed arm aside and dealt it a fierce slash across its chest. Weak as she was, the blow still made the alien leap backwards, even though the she lacked the power to make the creature bleed.

Saeko slumped down once more, the weight of her katana growing too difficult to hold upright. But even still she did not let her eyes waver, and she stared at her killer with determination as it advanced upon her once more. This time, she wouldn't be able to drive it back, but she would gaze upon her death with honor and fortitude. Her father would have been proud.

And, because she refused to look away, she saw a flash of silver lance across the foyer and cut the alien's head from its shoulders. Her blue eyes glancing sideways, Saeko saw another predator stalk into the room. She smirked slightly, as it advanced upon her. It was better to die at the hands of a warrior in any case.

Imagine Saeko's surprise when the predator picked her up slowly, gently even, and carried her from the abandoned apartment complex. She gazed up at the masked face uncomprehendingly even as her mind slowly slipped away.

Today was an interesting day in the life of Saeko Busujima

xXx

The predators, or the Yautja as they called themselves, were a warrior race. Every male was a hunter capable of defeating half a dozen kiande amedha with nothing more than a spear and the blades upon his wrists. Their martial skill was paramount, and they excelled at all forms of combat, be it fighting a single enemy or a large group.

And so Guan-thwei, the leader of the Echarsus hunting pack, examined his fallen brother with surprise and no small amount of disdain.

To Guan-thwei's experienced eyes, it was clear that the younger Yautja had fallen in single combat. And though a small group of kiande amedha were tearing apart his pack mate's body when Guan-thwei arrived at the scene of the conflict, it was equally clear that they were only scavengers feasting upon another hunter's triumph.

He dispatched them with practiced ease before setting out to find his pack mate's killer. Perhaps it would finally be a foe worth of his attention. He was growing tired of the weak prey that flourished on this planet.

The trail of blood upon the human-path was easy to track and proved that his prey hadn't triumphed over Guan-thwei's brother completely unscathed. But that alone did little to remove the shame of being defeated by a single foe.

He arrived at the apartment complex just in time to see Saeko bifurcate the first xenomorph.

Guan-thwei could tell, observing silently from a distance, that the pyode amedha (the ooman if he recalled the species's strange name for themselves) was tired from its battle with his pack mate. But still it moved with grace befitting of a Yautja as it charged at the second kiande.

Guan-thwei saw easily the trap the ooman had fallen into. Either the first foe would stab the ooman through the skull, or the second would rend it in two from behind. He snorted at its foolishness. His pack mate had fallen to this creature? Yes it was more skilled than the average ooman, and it wielded its weapon with surprising ease. But all the same, to be defeated by it? Guan-thwei almost laughed at the preposterous notion. And he would have too, if not for what happened next.

In an instant the ooman spun and killed the enemy behind it even as it moved to avoid the attack from the prey handing from the ceiling. Guan-thwei watched intensely as the ooman was thrown across the room but kept a hold on its weapon all the same. When it drove the kiande amedha back once, despite its obvious exhaustion, and then regarded its enemy with calm eyes even as it slumped tiredly against the wall, Guan-thwei made a decision.

This ooman was too interesting to let die so quickly.

With a flick of his wrist the kiande amedha died. Guan-thwei let his cloaking deactivate as he walked towards the ooman. It gazed at him tiredly, and a small smirk spread across the ooman's minuscule lips. If Guan-thwei remembered correctly, that expression was a sign of _amusement. _Truely this was an interesting creature.

Guan-thwei picked of the human easily and carried it out of the abandoned building. He was quickly on his way, it wouldn't do if the ooman died before he could properly examine it.

The Yautja were a warrior race, yes. They are warriors first, and warriors last, and warriors many times in between. Yet that is not all the Yautja are. Indeed, if the Yautja were mindless berserkers would they have developed ships capable of transversing the galaxy in search of worthy prey? Would they have created weaponry and technology that outstripped all humanity had ever built? No, of course not. For the Yautja are more than simple warriors.

Guan-thwei, for his part, once had an interest in human society. He once wondered how a race so weak and feeble could accomplish so much. Now, seeing Saeko's inherent grace and strength, that interest had been kindled anew.

Guan-thwei carried ooman to his lander and placed its battered body in one of the medical pods. After configuring the settings to heal it, Guan-thwei lifted off the planet's surface. He would return to the mother ship and hand off control of hunting upon Echarsus to one of his subordinates. There was no prey worthy of his notice on the planet; he would continue his search for a foe that was his equal at another time. For now, he had something far more intriguing to hold his attention.

* * *

Saeko woke to a soft glow the suffused the air around her. Odd sounds bounced around her ears as her eyelids fluttered and it almost felt as if she was engulfed in a cloud. _Is this... heaven?_

Her musings were cut short by a beep and hiss. Around her, the gentle glow dimmed, and the air dropped a few degrees in temperature as the... ceiling? ...above her receded upwards. Past it she could see a smooth surface of gray steel and, as Saeko glanced left and right, she saw that her body was supported by an odd gel. She was in a capsule? How odd. Especially when the last thing she could remember was the predator _picking her up_.

Saeko could almost believe that she was dreaming, so unbelievable was her situation, but she'd never been one to delude herself just because it was easier than facing the truth. Then the predator stepped into her field of vision, and offered her its hand.

And suddenly Saeko was _quite_ certain that she was dreaming.

The predator grunted once and gestured impatiently. Saeko reached up and grasped the predator's hand firmly; something flashed in its dark eyes, satisfaction? Then it pulled Saeko out of the pod. She stumbled once, but the predators rough hand steadied her.

Without pause, the predator started down an adjacent hallway and Saeko fell in step behind it quietly. She was curious now, once she got past her initial shock and exhaustion, and she wondered why a hunter would go to such lengths to save its prey.

They ended the large room, a holo-consol dominating the its center. Saeko's eyes ran along the alien glyphs dancing through the air above the consol with muted interest. And though understanding eluded her, she found the symbols intriguing, almost enrapturing.

Saeko watched silently as the predator began manipulating the display, groups of glyphs sliding back and forth through the air as it selected first this, then that, its surprisingly nimble fingers seemingly making the symbols dance.

It paused for a second, and spoke, though Saeko could not understand the predators speech in the slightest. The consol beeped, and rows of symbols arrayed themselves across its display in neat columns, cross referencing, connecting, and fading in and out until only a single line of predator script remained.

The consol beeped and 'spoke' in a rough imitation of human speech. "I am called Guan-thwei,"

Saeko cocked an elegant indigo eyebrow at the machine. What an interesting development. "And I am called Saeko Busujima." The machine went through the 'translation' process again, leaving a new line of text on the display which the predator read with visible satisfaction. It spoke again.

"You killed pack mate mine."

Saeko wondered vaguely if the predator was asking a question or making a statement. The translator was apparently far from perfect.

"I killed another Yautja before you found me." She responded.

The predator nodded as it read the translation "In fight alone."

In single combat? "Yes,"

A single glowing character this time, Saeko memorized it and filed it away for future reference. The predator was silent after that, regarding her with its pitch black eyes.

Saeko wondered what the point of the questions was. Was the predator gauging her ability? Measuring her strength to see if she was worthy prey? It would make sense, in a rather twisted sort of way, to heal something simply so the predator could hunt the beast in prime condition. More honor the way, she supposed. Or maybe this predator would simply execute her for killing its 'pack mate'.

Saeko found the first option far more preferable. Better to die with her katana in hand, better to draw the enemies blood before she fell. She would rather die a warrior than an animal.

The predator nodded, and for a second Saeko almost thought it looked _pleased_. But that was impossible, right?

Then the predator chuckled. And spoke into the translator again. "You defeated apprentice mine in battle.

"And so I will take you as my new disciple."

The purplette gapped.

This was most certainly not a normal day in the life of Saeko Busujima.


	2. The Patriarch

**Chapter 2:** The Patriarch

**Wayland Yutani Research Facility, System Unknown**

It was dark, and his eyes could see nothing, but he was used to that by now, accustomed, after long eras of darkness, to relying on his other senses for comprehension. Idly his fingers traced the rivets of the durasteel floor, the ridges and creases that were nearly as familiar as the darkness around him. He was used to it all by now, no longer angry or afraid at his circumstances.

He did not know why he was here, but he had long since stopped trying to find out.

After an eternity of sitting in the dark he had stopped raging and banging at the door he knew was set into the South wall. After an age of isolation he had stopped crying and bemoaning his fate. After an epoch of being separated from the rest of the humanity he had ceased to wonder what lay outside this little metal room.

When he had first come here- how long ago? A year? Two? He could not accurately tell, for there was no way to keep time in his cell (For a while he'd measured time by counting meals, but had grown bored with the game after reaching one thousand)- But anyway, when he had first come here his only experiences had been pain. He remembered bright lights and humming machines vaguely, but those memories were blurred and dime compared to the _pain_ that those machines had brought. The pain of things changing that did not want to change and the pain of hearing voices that did not speak but grated on his ears all the same. It was torment enough that he'd forgotten his name during those first weeks (if indeed it had been weeks of that torture) and now he barely even recalled what _they_ called him. Subject 7, or simply the Subject, was how _they_ referred to him, if _they_ spoke at all in his presence.

After the pain came the silence, when he'd been thrown into this dark room by big beings in bulky armor (there was a name for them too... marines?) and left to recover from the changes forced upon his body. To come to terms with what he was and, more importantly, what he was not. If the pain had not already shattered his psyche, then the enforced solitude certainly would have. The darkness and silence didn't bother him now, of course, it was much preferred to the pain. But he had been in the silence and darkness for such a very long time.

And so it was only in his sleep that he remembered what he once was, a leader of survivors on a beleaguered planet (Alpha something, or was it Delta?) . He dreamed of the warm air and sunlight, of his comrades, many older than him, and of the rough grip of his pilfered Marine Corps rifle. Before this he was a leader of men, his natural charisma and charm gathering people to him. Here he was nothing, a small empty shell in a dark metal box, put here until _they_ decided to take him out and play with him again.

In a moment of clarity he remembered how little girls on his home world would play with dolls, take them out of decorated little boxes and dress them up, make them talk and dance and sing, and then returned to the box when play time was over. He too was taken out when wanted, only to be thrown back into his box when _they _grew board of him (Though his _box_ was not so prettily decorated).

In another time, another place he might have smirked at his own cleverness. Now, he only blinked once as the analogy ran through his head, he'd remember it though, it was an interesting comparison.

_They_ hadn't made him do anything for a long while (he wasn't sure if he should be happy because of that, the darkness got boring after a while), but he still ran through tests every dozen meals or so. The big men with armor and weapons would move him to another room, and he would do this or that, something or other. Then, if he performed well, he'd get a slightly larger meal (with food that actually had a flavor) after _they_ put him back into his box. He couldn't care less about the food, but when he performed badly _they_ took him to another room, and put him through more pain. After the first time he'd always been sure to do exactly what was asked of him.

Of course, he never saw _them_, not for his tests, not for the pain. The only other humans he ever saw were the marines that escorted him to and fro, always a different pair (He could tell by their scents).

He hated it (when he allowed himself to feel any emotion at all), he hated being treated like some sort of science experiment, like he wasn't (or, at least, hadn't been) human. And deep inside of him, beneath all of the subservience and apathy his broken mind could muster, a spark of defiance still burned. He continued to bide his time, waiting for his chance to escape, for his one perfect shot at freedom. But until then he would do nothing, he would give them no reason to clamp down on him and extinguish that last ember of hope.

Then the door to his box slid open with a brief hiss. He'd just had a meal a short while ago, it must be time for another test. He rose, and walked quietly out of the cell into the dim passage beyond. The two marines escorted him down the corridor to another room (left turn, left turn, pass, right turn, pass, second door on the left) where _they_ would play with him for a little bit. Briefly he caught sight of his reflection in a particularly shiny piece of durasteel, the golden disks that were his eyes peered back at him from beneath a shock of messy black hair. Then he was past, moving into the test room.

If he ever let himself feel more than hate, then he would have admitted that he liked the tests. Not for what _they_ made him do, or even for the break from the darkness the tests offered. But because the tests were the only times he could see his friends. He could hear them, sometimes, through the walls of his box (though really hearing was the wrong word for it), but seeing them was so much better. Seeing his friends helped him believe, if only for a little bit, that he actually had a chance of escaping.

Then the door to the room slid shut behind him, and a voice crackled over the speakers, "Subject Seven..."

[page break]

Shizuka Marikawa watched in trepidation as the young man was escorted into the chamber. She stood, along with several of her other colleagues, on the other side of wall made of reinforced one way glass, allowing all of the scientists in the room an unimpeded view of the young man who now stood in the center of the test chamber.

A younger researcher, Martin something-or-other, began to direct the test itself while Shizuka and the others remained silent and observed the process.

"Subject Seven..." He began.

"Absolutely fascinating isn't it." Another scientist remarked to Shizuka. "The results we have already achieved in Seven. This is more or less the last trial after all, and I have no reason to expect that Seven will not function as expected, even when confronted with a mature Xenomorph."

"Yes..." Shizuka murmured. But her attention quickly returned to the test chamber as a large grate set in the far wall of the room began to rise up. She grimaced when she caught the first glimpse of the xenomorph, all chitin and spikes and _teeth_. For what seemed like the hundredth time Shizuka questioned the morality of this research facility. What right did they have to condemn a mere boy to a life of tests and genetic modifications?

And, for what felt like the hundredth time, she consoled herself with the knowledge that her actions were taken to ensure the survival of the human race as a whole, that her contributions could result in the end of the xenomorphs everywhere.

Slowly, the xenomorph entered the chamber and approached Subject Seven. Shizuka trembled as it bent down so that its massive jaws were merely an inch or so above Seven's head, so close that it could consume him in a heartbeat. This was the final test for a reason.

For a moment, there was complete silence, when neither the subject nor the xenomorph moved. Then, ever so slowly, Subject Seven raised his right hand and placed it upon the xenomorph's head. The alien did nothing. Seven remained touching the xenomorph for a moment, before it twitched once. With the scientist watching in awe, the alien slowly sunk down so that its front claws rested on the ground, low enough that it's head was level with Seven's. Then the xenomorph _bowed_, exactly what they had told Seven to make it do.

Around Shizuka, her colleagues froze in a moment of breathless exultation. They had done it.

_They_ had _done it!_

Cheers and laughter erupted from the room, as far as they were concerned the experiment was a complete success. They'd created a genetically modified human capable of _commanding _the xenomorphs. With such a weapon in their arsenal, humanity would be able to drive back the alien menace at their leisure, using others like Subject Seven to tear apart hives from the inside out. The scientists had triumphed, their labor had finally born fruit.

So absorbed they were by their own success, none of Shizuka's colleagues noticed what happened next. Only Shizuka saw, as Seven stroked the xenomorph's head gently, and as Subject Seven pressed his forehead against the xenomorphs black carapace in a gentle and- dare she think it?- loving gesture.

Shizuka suppressed a shiver.

Perhaps she and her colleagues hadn't saved humanity from the xenomorphs at all. Perhaps they'd only condemned mankind extinction all the faster.

And, for the hundred-and-first time, Shizuka wondered if all of their research was truly worth the cost.

[page break]

He was happy, the first emotion other than anger he'd allow himself to feel in a long time. Before him was one of his friends, so close that he could touch her skin and rest against her shimmery black carapace (it was so smooth). But best of all, he could tell her what to do.

He could tell _all_ his friends what to do, even the big ones, the ones who were stronger than him.

He didn't allow himself to smile, and reluctantly he stepped away from his friend. It wouldn't do to let _them_ know that he'd just been given the keys to his freedom. Already he was listening (though indeed _listening _was the wrong word) to his friends and, more importantly, taking to them.

The walls of his box couldn't keep him away from his friends any more, the guards could no longer contain him, _they_ could not longer use him.

Now, it was just a matter of time.

Fortunately, he had become very patient (the box had made it so), and he would wait for the perfect chance so that _they_ would never see it coming.

Satisfied with this knowledge, he let his newfound happiness drift away and let apathy take its place once more. He stood silently in the middle of the room, waiting for his next order, and made his friend return to her side of the bars without any fuss.

The Marines (A different two this time) escorted him back to his box and gave him a meal. The food was tasteless and dry in his mouth, but his mind was on other things. Through the steel walls of the box he _communed _(There. That's the word he wants) with his friends. Slowly, he exerted his influence over them, until they bowed to his will. He made sure that all of them were ready.

Then, he closed his tawny eyes, and let himself sleep.

**3 Months Later  
**Shizuka slowly sipped at her lukewarm coffee as she poured over several spreadsheets of readouts. Subject Seven's vast slew of neurological data was laid out in front of her, the sums and figures blurring as her bleary eyes glanced over the paper. The information was nearly incomprehensible, even to her, and neurology was her field of expertise.

Yet all the same, it appeared that Subject Seven's brain was slowly repurposing its functional regions on a vast scale. Sites that interpreted visual and auditory information had been modified so much that they were almost unrecognizable as part of a human brain.

The data was as fascinating as it was morbid. From what the numbers showed, Seven no longer thought like a human. His brain processed sensory information along different channels, his cerebellum had adapted to a different set of instincts, his hemispheres communicated in a different manner. Looking over the graphs once more, Shizuka wondered if Seven was still capable of speech.

She almost doubted it.

They'd taken Seven, once an ordinary human, and had played around with his genetic code like a kitten played with a ball of yarn. On a good day, Shizuka could justify it to herself- if only barely- and make herself believe that what they'd done would be worth it in the end. But today was not a good day.

She remembered when Subject Seven had first arrived. He was a young man, a child really, lost, confused, and drugged out of his mind. The marines had picked him up from a condemned world, and a Weyland-Yutani scientist had seen him and... recruited the boy. Going with the scientist was the worst decision Subject Seven had ever made.

Shizuka only knew the bare bones of where each of the Subjects came from. Those labeled One through Four were already dead when she arrived on the job. Five perished soon after, and she came too late to do much of anything for Six. Subject Seven had arrived about a day after she had joined the project, and her superiors had ordered her to modify his neurological pathways so that the stress from the physical changes would not be fatal, as the stress of across the scale physiological adaptation had killed the previous six Subjects.

She had done her job. And now that 'Genesis' project was reaping the fruits of her labor, she felt more conflicted than ever before.

Subject Seven may have passed every test, but his journey had only just begun. If she knew her superiors at all, now they would send Seven to other condemned planets for extensive 'field tests', where he would live or die based on how well he could control the 'wild' xenomorphs.

They would work him until he died, they would make him kill aliens until he keeled over. Then, the Genesis project would pick another subject, or, worst come to worst, they would clone Seven as many times as they needed. And he would never truly be free from Weyland-Yutani. In her eyes, that was the worst fate of all.

"Why hello, Miss Shizuka. " Of course, others were not nearly as conflicted (or moral) as she.

Shido, the head of project Genesis smirked down at her, his beady yellow eyes peering out from beneath greased bangs and wire rimmed glasses (AN: okay, does anyone else think Shido is a dead ringer for Orochimaru?).

"Looking over some of Seven's latest test results? You're always so wonderfully... attentive."

Shizuka glanced away from the man, "Yes... I'm somewhat worried about subject Seven's mental health. I'm believe he might be a bit... unstable. And certainly it will do the project more harm than good to begin field testing with his neurological state at less than optimal conditions." Maybe if she whispered in the right ears she could get Seven a reprieve. Her maternal instincts were getting the better of her, and Shizuka knew it, but all the same she hoped that she could help Seven, if only a little.

Shido nodded, "You noticed it too? At the end of the most recent test Seven seemed a bit too _close_ to the Xenomorph for my liking. I believe we may have to take corrective action to prevent any... mishaps with the subject."

"I believe that would be prudent," Counseling would probably be too much to ask for, but perhaps she could give Seven some 'evaluations'? She also had a degree as a psychiatrist after all.

The scientist sighed, "Such a shame." He remarked, "We'll have to make arrangements to euthanize the subject. That will take some time, especially if we want to have a eighth subject on hand to compound our successes." Shizuka could only stare at him in shock, "And I had held such hope that Seven would remain stable enough for field testing. Alas, if our resident neurologist believes that seven is unstable, then certain protocols must be enacted."

"There are protocols in place regarding the termination of subject Seven just based on mental health?" Shizuka was aghast. What happened to basic human rights?

Okay, stupid question.

"Of course Mrs. Marikawa. The subject's mentality is the most important aspect of our entire project. Should the subject have more empathy for the xenomorphs than for other humans, we have no choice but to end its existence."

"... Of course," Shizuka murmured. "When would this procedure take place... so I know how long I have to gather additional data to better prep further subjects." She added the last part because it was something Shido would want to hear. After this, Shizuka doubted she could stomach being on this project any longer.

"Always on the ball I see." Shido replied with a smirk, "It will take about a month to gather the requisite approval. But, since our neurologist has already testified to Seven's instability, the process should go smoothly."

Shizuka gulped, and nodded. A month. She had just signed Seven's death warrant.

Shido smirked down once more at her as he stood. "Well then, I'd best go and finalize the paperwork," His purplish tongue darted out across his lips. Shizuka shuddered.

After he left she gazed down at the datasheets once more, before shoving them off of her desk in disgust, her body trembling with a sudden burst self-loathing and despair. She wilted forward, arms and body collapsing as Shido's remarks began circling through her head.

There were no two ways about it, she had condemned that boy to die. And she couldn't even lie to herself and say that killing Seven would be a _cruelty_, not after everything else he had suffered through. If anything, the end of his life would come as sweet release from a never ending nightmare of pain and torment. He would die without ever truly having lived.

She had wanted to _help_ Seven, not _kill _him.

"_The best laid plans of mice and men..."_ She murmured to herself. She had failed epically, in the greatest proportion. But could she really just give up like that? Could she really just let Seven die after only the weakest of efforts on her part?

There was no way she could talk Shido out of murdering Seven. Well, there was perhaps one way but... Shizuka shivered at the thought of _enticing _the man stop the execution order. No, she could never bring herself to stoop so low, even for her pitiful sense of right and wrong. Where did that leave her, though? If Shido would send out the order to terminate subject Seven, how could she possibly stop him?

She sighed, _Be realistic, Shizuka. _ As long as the subject remained in the facility, there was nothing she could do to stop his execution. So, if she actually wanted to do something, she'd have to get Seven out of the laboratories, and probably off planet as well. If Shizuka wanted to live after that, she'd have to run as well, probably with Seven. She would have to betray her superiors, forfeit her lavish lifestyle, and give up her entire career to help Seven escape.

So the _real_ inquiry remained; just how much was Shizuka Marikawa willing to give up for Subject Seven?

Shizuka sank back onto her desk with a whimper. She would ponder that question for days.

[page break]

He lay unmoving in the darkness of his box, the slight misting of his breath in the chilled air the only sign of his continued survival.

_They_ hadn't set up any tests for a longer than normal period (of course, he hadn't had meals come during the usual intervals either, so perhaps his sense of time had been thrown off), and he wasn't quite if he was relieved or frustrated by that. He didn't like the idea that they might be saving him for something, or that they needed him to be relatively unhurt and/or weak for the next test.

But, as boring as his box was, at least he wasn't entirely alone anymore (well he was alone in the literal sense, but...) Now, he could spend the time communing with his friends without interruption.

They weren't a particularly intelligent bunch, no help at all in planning his escape, but all the same it was calming to know that he was no longer alone (He had been alone for a very long time). He passed the hours with his friends, using them to alleviate the omnipresent boredom. He wanted so very very badly to escape, and to kill as many of _them_ as possible as he did so, but he forced himself to wait. It was not yet time for such things.

Focused primarily on his friends, He wasn't really paying attention to his surroundings, and he jerked in surprise when the door to his box hissed open.

He scrambled to his feet and waited for the Marines to escort him out of the box. But instead of two armored hulks waiting to drag him somewhere, on the other side of the open door stood no one but a blond woman in a white coat. She glanced around the hallway furtively before beckoning to him in a hurried manner. He blinked.

The two made eye contact for a brief moment, his tawny eyes boring holes into her soft brown ones. She shot him a frown, "Come _on!_" She hissed out, "Unless you want to stay in there until you die!" Seven's eyes widened. Slowly he edged his way forward, surely she couldn't mean...

Suddenly, the woman grabbed his right arm and pulled him out into the hallway. "Follow me," Her tone, though her voice was light and airy, left no room for argument, "We don't have much time before they notice I'm missing. I'm getting you out of here."

Seven stumbled when he heard that last bit, but he picked up the pace, and was running next to her in a second. When Shizuka saw Seven's eyes light up with enthusiasm she gave him a soft smile. "Yeah..." She whispered to herself, "let's get out of here."

After that it was seemingly random turns down the durasteel halls of the facility, Shizuka leading the way with Seven half a step behind. Somewhere en route, she picked up a large duffle bag and handed it off to Seven. "Keep hold of that. We'll need it once we get out of the labs." She'd said.

A few minutes after that Shizuka slowed to a walk and put an arm on Seven to make sure he didn't rush past her. Holding a finger to her lips, Shizuka motioned for him to follow her quietly as they approached the next intersection in the hallways. "Stay here," She whispered, "I need to take care of the Marines around the corner." Drawing herself up to full height, she straightened out her lab coat and marched smartly around the corner.

Seven could hear their conversation, something about transfers, and how the subject didn't need an escort because he was conditioned. But he didn't really care, there was something far more interesting holding his attention.

One of his friends was close, _very_ close. While Shizuka and the marines argued, Seven placed his hand up against one of the Durasteel walls, his eyes slide over to a control panel next to the doorway. It wasn't a code lock? As far as Takashi could see it was a simple lever (along with a conspicuous 'Xenomorph Holding Pen. Do Not Open' sign above it). His hand moved over to the lever. Should he? Was it really that simple? Were they really that careless?

Then the conversation from around the corner intruded into his senses once more.

"What is the meaning of this?!" A voice, male, but not one of the Marines. Angry.

"Sir!" Marine one. "Dr. Marikawa stated that Subject Seven is being transferred to a new facility."

A pause. The first man growled. "How dare you Shizuka! Attempting to steal my research, and right after I find that you've sabotaged my attempts to procure an new test subject. Did you really thing I wouldn't notice!? Soldiers! Seize Dr. Marikawa immediately! If you see subject Seven gun it down where it stands!"

Well, no sense in standing around.

Seven pulled down on the lever. The door hissed open, and Seven grinned as one of his friends stepped out of the darkness. He ran a hand along her smooth carapace, and gave her a very simple instruction.

When the men come around the corner, _kill._ Oh, but leave the blond one alive.

The xenomorph was more than happy to obey its master's instructions. When the marines + a dark haired scientist fell to the floor in a bloody mess, Seven stepped around the corner. The last marine gapped at the alien behind him for in instant, before bringing his assault rifle to bear. But, sadly, by that point the alien had already impaled the poor man through his skull.

Seven looked at Shizuka, who had been reduced to a quivering mess in the corner at the site of the torn bodies and hulking alien in front of her. "Well?" he asked, "Aren't we going somewhere?" His voice was quiet and raspy from disuse. In the end, it sounded more like an animal's growl than any form of civilized speech, but it snapped Shizuka out of her funk all the same.

She scrambled to her feet, "Yes." She replied hastily as she brushed off her lab coat. "Um, is.. _it... _coming with us?"

Seven glanced up at his friend. "Yes."

Shizuka gulped, and opened the door that the marines had been guarding quickly. "Well... ah... let's keep moving then."

And with that they took off down the corridors again.

Any further resistance they encountered was easily taken care of by the Alien, and they reached the shuttle bay before the alarm was even sounded.

Shizuka punched a set of commands into the bay consol "Get into the big shuttle. It's the only one with enough space for... our extra passenger." Shizuka really wished she could convince seven to leave the xenomorph behind, but she didn't think he'd take too kindly to the idea.

Slowly, as alarms began to blare around the facility, the shuttle bay doors slid open. Standing behind the pilot's seat as Shizuka manipulated the controls, Seven's eyes widened as he glimpsed sunlight for the first time in years.

He was so used to the dark that the brightness burned his eyes. After all, why else would he be tearing up.

With a jerk, the shuttle blasted out of the bay and into the world beyond. As the dark durasteel walls of the research facility gave way to blue sky Seven gasped, sinking to the floor of the shuttle. He said nothing, merely continuing to stare at a world he had only dreamt of returning to.

In front of him, Shizuka let out a sigh and a wan smile. "We made it." She jumped in surprise when a set of arms encircled her from behind and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Thank you," Seven whispered. His voice was quiet and deep, but Shizuka could hear his gratitude. For a moment he was shocked, both at his actions and his words.

She placed on hand on his forearm. "You're welcome." She manipulated the controls one handed for a while, letting the shuttle coast high off the ground as it left the facility behind.

Shizuka let out a quiet sigh. She had just thrown away her entire life's work, all the respect and notoriety she had gained as a scientist, the most high paying job she had ever secured; for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to regret it in the slightest. Perhaps that was God's way of telling her that she'd done the right thing.

Slowly, Seven straightened, releasing Shizuka. He moved next to her and collapsed gently into the co-pilot's seat, his eyes never once looking away from the window. Seven sighed. "I won't let it hurt anyone..." He murmured.

"What?"

"The alien, I won't let it hurt innocent people. I'll repay your kindness." Shizuka let out a relieved sigh and a weary chuckle.

"Thank you," She replied.

The shuttle wouldn't take them off planet, but Shizuka had called in a few favors from friends at the nearest colony. Her friends would smuggled their shuttle aboard the frigate currently orbiting the planet, and Shizuka and subject Seven would disappear into the far reaches of space.

Was she still a bit leery of traveling with a xenomorph? Of course. But Shizuka had been observing the dealing with the creatures for over a year now, she'd long since moved past fearing the aliens.

If anything, she could hardly wait to see how subject Seven and the xenomorph would interact...

_Oh, speaking of 'subject Seven'_- Shizuka took the duffle bag back from Seven and pulled out a stack of papers in a manila folder. She flipped open to the first page.

"Takashi Komuro huh...?" She said out loud. Seven, or Takashi rather, jumped at the sound of his name. Shizuka smiled at him. "It's nice to meet you Takashi, My name's Shizuka Marikawa." She held out her hand.

Takashi blinked, before gently shaking her hand. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Marikawa."


	3. Collisions

**Chapter 3:** Collisions

**Aboard the **_**Shimmering**_**- Hyperspace**

Offworld.

It was just a word. One single word not even accompanied by a sentence, only eight measly letters long. And yet that word made all the difference. Offworld meant freedom. And Freedom meant everything.

Even if that freedom was currently confined to the inside of a shipping crate.

He had _light_ and _warmth_, things that were almost foreign to him after his long confinement, and he was quickly rediscovering their comforts. He had a soft blanket to lie down on, with pillows. What's more, he had all the food he could eat, compliments of Shizuka (who had an actual berth on the ship).

At times Takashi thought that he had died and gone to heaven. So what if it was a shipping container? It was immeasurably better then the _box_.

He didn't have much to do, but Takashi was used to prolonged periods of inactivity. His alien was forced to spend the voyage in a state of suspended animation (there was no way to feed her), which meant he couldn't commune with her. Not that their conversations were particularly interesting anyway. So in the end he had asked Shizuka for a book, preferable one concerning the planet they were going to. And he had discovered, much to his quiet delight, that he could still read (Next he was going to ask her for a guitar).

However, the book Shizuka gave him was nothing so useful as a history book or a tour guide. But she had managed to borrow a data tablet and a copy of _Don Quixote_. It was a difficult story to work through (the words felt almost _heavy_ as he read them) but so far he had learned one very important lesson: Acting like you're insane is a good way to get what you want (especially if you have an alien to back you up). He spent a good deal of time reading, with Shizuka sending new books to his data tablet occasionally. Takashi also spent a good deal of his time trying to recover his strength.

Shizuka told him shortly after they boarded the ship that many of his muscles had atrophied and his physical state was about equal to a ten year old's. So, it was pushups, sit-ups, and squats for Takashi every day, despite the burning pain it brought to his body. He hated being weak.

At first, Takashi thought he was recovering his strength far to rapidly to be normal, but then he set aside such trivial concerns as he found himself in the best shape he'd been in his whole life. Such is the plight of having nothing to fill one's time.

Yes, his conditions were far from ideal, and his journey was far from over. But even the inside of a shipping crate was light-years better than his previous circumstances. He was doing his best to move forward, instead of always looking back. He was trying his damnest to be strong, even though he had started out so weak. He was trying to be human, when his humanity had been ripped from his fingers. He was trying so hard.

For he had made one promise to himself after the end of his stay with Weyland-Yutani: _I will never be that weak again._

And he would never let anyone he cared about suffer as he had.

**Colony of Ter, Eios**

Rei crouched low, gripping her weapon tightly in her hands. Something that lurked just out of sight was stalking her, waiting for the right moment to _pounce_.

With a feral shriek her attacker jumped Rei from behind, arms reached out to latch on and..  
"Oh no you don't!" Rei spun, dropping the pillow she held in her hands. She grabbed Alice out of the air and pulled the little girl to her chest as she fell backwards onto a plush couch.

The tickle fight then commenced.

Now, I'm sure that some of you are thinking _'wait wuh?_'. Where's the blood? Where's the horror? What happened to the dystopia? Where the hell does this _girly _tickly fight fit into the grand scheme of things?

The answer: in a place happily blind to the horrors of the universe.

Eios was a _clean_ world. It has no xenomorphs, no predators, no war. Out of all the human colonies in the cosmos, only about ten percent were labeled _clean_. One would think that the people on Eios would have some sense of perspective when faced with that statistic. One would think that they would see how lucky they were to be born on a planet known for peace instead of suffering. One would be wrong.

Indeed, most of the three hundred million inhabitants of Eios barely understood the concept of 'xenomorph' at all. Why? Or more importantly how? when ninety percent of the human race fought a war of extinction with the creatures.

One finds that until a person experiences suffering, they cannot comprehend it. It is only shared hardship that breeds empathy, only mutual pain that creates understanding. Information packets and television programs can only impart a sterile, clinical, interest. But rest assured, the people of Eios would understand soon enough.

xXx

Alice wanted to go to Market Square.

The young girl always chaffed at the confines of her adoptive parents home. She loved the city, and begged constantly to be allowed to explore it. And, as every child has 'favorites', Alice's favorite place in the colony of Vexin was the city's central plaza- An open market, reminiscent of the ancient bazaars on Earth, that thrived six days of the week.

Rei, the babysitter, was more than happy to agree. While going to Market Square wasn't quite _her_ idea of a grand adventure, there was always good food to be bought and cute boys to flirt with, much better than sticking around the boring apartment all day. And so they went. Rei following behind Alice as the little girl dashed around the cobbled square like a hyperactive chipmunk.

Alice's father, her adoptive father anyway, was the mayor of Eios and was too busy with work to watch over his daughter many a day. That being said, he adopted the poor girl in the express hope of providing her with a childhood filled with laughter, and he hired Rei to take care of the girl and make sure his daughter had fun.

Alice, from what Rei had been told, was a survivor from a condemned world, a planet overrun by xenomorphs. And Rei could tell that Alice, though she appeared happy and cheerful, had some deep psychological scars.

Rei also thought that most of those scars were necessary for Alice's continued survival.

Now, Rei Miyamoto had her own share of dangerous (read: life threatening and incredibly stupid) episodes from her own childhood, like the time she hid in the trunk of her father's patrol car when he went on a sting. It came with the territory when your father was a police chief who thought deskwork was a waste of his skills and your mother was, well, someone who lived and worked in the shadier parts of the colony. But her experiences paled in comparison to Alice's.

How did she know? Alice would often talk about her time on the condemned planet. And how did Rei know that Alice was a bit off in the head? Alice talked about people dying with the same amount of cheer as she had when talking about the weather. In Rei's opinion, not that she was a psychologist or anything, Alice probably had more than a few mental blocks to help her cope with her memories from _before_.

But the one and only person that Alice always spoke of with genuine glee was the young man she called-

"Oniisan!"

Rei's head snapped up as Alice took off across the plaza and nearly tackled a young man wearing jeans and dark long sleeved shirt. His tawny eyes widened in surprise and he stumbled backwards as Alice wrapped her little arms tightly around the boy's waist and pressed her face into his stomach.

"Oniisan! Oniisan, you kept your promise!"

By then Rei was there, and she watched silently as the boy bent down and scooped Alice up in his arms. He brought Alice up to eye level and gazed into her face with wide, disbelieving eyes.

"Alice..." His voice was a whisper, half a question, half a prayer, as if he couldn't believe what was happening before his own eyes. He hugged the little girl tight, "Alice. It's been too long."

The little girl with maroon hair just smiled widely and buried her face back in Takashi's shoulder, the tears on her cheeks running into the fabric of his shirt.

After a moment of surprise Rei figured out what was happening and decided to stay quiet so the two could have their reunion.

So this was the boy that Alice could spend days talking about, she mused. The one that saved her from the dying world. With one glace Rei could tell that this boy, Alice's Oniisan, was dangerous. And she was a very good judge of character.

Of course, Rei also noted that he was a complete cutie, with his windswept black hair and smoldering gold eyes. His toned arms certainly didn't hurt Rei's estimation of him either, but that was just her being a girl.

Then Alice was babbling again, "...and you have to come over for dinner, and meet my new 'parents', and then maybe Mr. Wilson can adopt you too! then we can find Mr. glasses and then you and my Oneechan can-"

"Whoa there." The teen interrupted. "One thing at a time. What's this I hear about your 'oneechan'? you haven't replaced me have you?" Alice shook her head furiously. Rei noted that his voice was deep and rough, but kind.

"No way! She's my Oneechan and you're my Oniisan!" As if such a thing should be obvious. Then the little girls eyes lit up like she just had the Best (capital 'B') idea _evar!_ "And if you two get married, then you can be my Otou-san and Okaa-san instead! Then we can be a family again, just like you said!"

The teen coughed in embarrassment at her statement. Off to the side, Rei only blinked as Alice's comment flew right over her head (Alice had only taught her a few words in Japanese, which was the little girls native language). "Let's not decide that right now or anything, okay?" The young man said. Then he turned towards Rei. "So, you're her oneechan?"

"Ah.. yeah,"

"Want to sit down somewhere? I guess we should probably talk, or else things might start getting even more confusing." Rei nodded.

Things did get a bit jumbled in the interim, but eventually they managed to fight their way free of the bustling square, and Rei led them to a small cafe off a quiet side street. She snagged a booth in the corner, well away from the few other patrons in the shop. This was a conversation to have in private, between the person who delivered Alice from hell and the one who took care of her afterwards.

Of course, just because they both knew Alice didn't mean they connected instantly and tense silence filled the air for a few moments before the boy finally spoke. "My Name's Takashi..."

She noticed that he hesitated slightly when he said his name, was it a pseudonym perhaps?, but she let it slide, "I'm Rei."

"Alice trusts you... Did your family adopt her?"

Rei shook her head, "The Mayor of Vexin did actually. But he doesn't have a wife, and he's almost always busy. So I take care of her most days; I practically live at her house." She frowned, "It's like I'm a nanny."

Takashi cocked an eyebrow, for some reason she felt he was laughing inside. He smiled wryly, "I'm just happy she's been well taken care of. Has Rei been a good oneechan, Alice?"

"Yeah!" The little girl chirped, "Rei-oneechan is the best. She always listens and we have story time evvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvery day!"

Takashi paused at that. Story time, did she really mean-?

"She chatters about you constantly." Rei confirmed, "Her Oniisan, the best person in the 'whole wide galaxy'. I never thought I'd actually meet you." She glanced out the window. "She talks about it so much that it scares me sometimes, how she can talk about all of her experiences so... calmly, like she wasn't the one who lived through it."

"Yeah, Alice was always like that. I think it's her way of coping." Takashi ruffled Alice's hair "How much did she tell you?" He seemed on edge, probably wondering what this stranger knew about him.

Rei shrugged. "Not much. She talks about you a lot, but it's all like 'my oniisan is the best' or 'and then oniisan saved the day'. Stuff like that." It was an awkward topic for her too. According to Alice, the sun rose and set with this young man before her.

"Oniisan _is_ the best!" Alice chirped, and Rei threw a glance at Takashi as if to say _I told you so_. He let out a quite chuckle, more than used to the girl spouting things like that at random times. It was part of her character.

Takashi leaned back in his chair and sighed. "I've only been on world for about a week, and I can't really stick around for too long right now, but do you think we could meet up ag-"

A deafening explosion shattered the air.

Rei's head snapped up "Wha-"

"Get down!" Sweeping Alice up with one arm Takashi tackled Rei to the ground. The shockwave hit the building a second later, shattering the glass windowpanes. Civilians screamed and shouted in panic as the shards of glass sliced through the air.

Even before Rei regained her bearing, Takashi was at the window looking at the sky. In the distance, just now crashing at the edge of the horizon, was a burning space ship, human design. Takashi's eyes widened as he _heard_ voices that were not human (though 'heard' was not the proper word) emanating from the downed vessel. A violent shiver ran the length of his body.

"What the hell..." Rei groaned. She stumbled to her feet, "What just-"

"We have to get off planet, now." Takashi's voice snapped her back to the present.

"Eh? What are you talking about?"

"There are aliens on that ship, a lot of them." He cursed under his breath. "This city doesn't even have a _wall_ for christsakes. They'll overrun it in an hour!" He glance back at Rei, "We have to move _now_!"

"Aliens on the ship? How the hell do you know that?" She could tell he was dead serious, but some part of her just refused to accept that he could be right. There was no possible way there could be _aliens _on _Eios!_

Takashi turned around fully, and looked Rei in the eye. "I've been through hell once. I'm in no hurry for a return visit. Don't believe me? Look at Alice." Rei looked at the child.

Alice had gone very quiet, very pale, and very still. She just started out the window, eyes wide, as if she were reliving terrible nightmare.

A nightmare that was about to become reality once more.

Rei only needed a moment to come to a decision. He was telling the truth. "I need to warn my parents." She said. Takashi scoffed as he picked Alice up in his arms. The girl was in no condition to move. "I'm not just going to abandon them!" Rei hissed.

"Where are they?" That gave Rei pause, because neither of her parents were close by. Her father was at a nearby military base, probably the safest place on the entire planet, doing some routine inspections, and her mother was currently in a equally safe place, an easily defendable high-rise at the north end of the city. Unfortunately, Rei and Takashi were in the southernmost section of Vexin, miles away.

"Alright, I'll go with you." She agreed quietly, "I know a place we can go that will be safe. It's in the northern part of the city."

"Let's focus on getting off the planet. please."

"What, you think that the marines are just going to let you waltz into the spaceport and borrow a military frigate?" She shot back. "If you're right then we have to _survive_ until the evacuations start."

After a few moments of deliberation Takashi nodded. "I need to find someone first."

"Who?"

"The woman who saved me from hell." Then he took off into the streets with Rei half a step behind.

People filled the streets. They ran in all directions, screaming and shouting. Already there were ambulances on the scene, picking up those who had been injured by the shockwave before lifting off into the sky. People had their communicators out and were taking pictures. Even as Takashi grabbed Rei's wrist and led them swiftly down the street she could tell that no one else knew about the aliens.

"Takashi!" She had to shout over the noise. "We can't just leave! Those people could be killed! We have to try and warn them." He didn't even pause, and Rei was left wondering if he heard her at all. She shouted at him again, and he darted into a nearby alley.

"Look," He said, "You can do that, if you're so dead set on being the hero." He _had_ heard. "But they won't believe you, and, more importantly: they. are. not. my. problem."

"Not your problem! You're part of the same _species_ last time I checked!" She was livid now, "What, you're just gonna run off and leave them to their fate?"

"They left me to mine." And then he was off again, farther down the alley, and Rei was forced to follow him or be left behind. "Think about it this way." Takashi continued. "Who do you have a better chance of convincing and who can do more good: those random bystanders on the street, or the person at whatever safe haven you know about?"

Rei clenched her jaw. That didn't make it _right_, leaving those people behind. But even so, she couldn't argue with him, with his iron clad logic and cool, emotionless, eyes.

"Shizuka!" Rei looked up to see them in front of a small apartment complex.

"Oh! Takashi? What are you doing here?" A voice, high pitched and soft. "Ah, there was that sonic boom earlier, my head still-"

Rei looked up to see Takashi talking to a buxom blond woman. And by buxom Rei meant: _That's the biggest f#%king rack I've seen in my life!_ She could only stare, dumbstruck, as Takashi explained the situation to the woman. Then Rei glanced down at her own, reasonably endowed chest. _I'm not _that_ small... am I?_

"-do we need to go back to the space port and get...?" Shizuka was talking now.

"She'll be fine without us, they won't kill one of their own." _Wait, who are they talking about._ "We need to move."

And then they were running again, only they had to check their pace because Shizuka couldn't really run in her long skirt. In the end, Rei led them to a side street with less people in it to compensate. The road ran all the way to the Northern suburbs. If they moved fast enough, then maybe they could make it to her mother's pent house before things started falling apart.

Did Rei really believe Takashi about the xenomorphs? She wasn't entirely certain. But when he had told her that there were _aliens_ aboard the crashed ship, she could tell that _he_ believed it. Rei knew from experience that it was better to be safe than sorry, especially if your life was on the line. Even still, she hoped that Takashi was wrong.

But then the screaming started.

These were not the screams of surprise or pain. No, these were the cries of abject terror. The sound of nightmares become reality, of hell upon the earth.

Rei shuddered and couldn't stop glancing over her shoulders at each cry, each explosion and screech and gunshot. Takashi didn't even slow down, his iron grip about her wrist forcing her to keep pace.

When the first xenomorph landed in front of them Rei nearly screamed herself. She froze in her tracks, eyes growing wide at the sight of its smooth black exoskeleton, its razor sharp claws, its glistening teath. She _would_ have screamed...

But at the sight of the alien, Takashi changed.

Before, Rei pegged him a pretty normal teenager. He was obviously a bit 'off' and had his fair share of mental and physical quirks, but no more so than Alice. That sort of behavior was to be expected from someone who survived a condemned world. He was odd, she though, but thoroughly human.

Now though, he grew very quiet, very pale, and very still. His entire body seemed to turn into stone, and, for a moment, Rei swore that Takashi and the alien were _staring_ at each other. At Rei's side, Shizuka murmured something under her breath.

Rei could barely believe her eyes when the xenomorph turned and disappeared back into the shadows.

And then Takashi glanced back towards her, his golden eyes burning like stars. Rei shuddered, there was nothing human about that gaze.

"We won't make it this way." He murmured, his voice gruffer than before, horse and deep. "Follow". And Rei could finally understand how a boy her own age became a leader of men on a war torn planet. She finally understood why others would follow him, and how he had saved them all.

It was everything about him, every line of his body, every shadow on his face. He was a natural born leader, full of almost _animal_ magnetism that convinced other's to obey him.

Rei and Shizuka nodded mutely, and they followed him deeper into the city.

xXx

He wasn't panicking (panic implied a certain amount of uselessness) but he was close. Of _course_ there would be aliens on any planet he went to. Fate (yeah like he believed in that) wasn't done playing with him yet.

The exhaustion from an entire day of pretending to be 'normal' didn't help in the slightest. Watching his every action, checking his every impulse, left him worn. And he'd had to focus on his behavior even more than usual when talking with Rei (that girl had eyes). He barely remembered what humans were supposed to act like in the first place (the same apes he guessed, probably).

And to top it off, he couldn't command these 'friends' to _do _anything. He could commune with them, but though they heard his voice (voice? stupid word, voice implies speech) they were under another creature's sway. The queen. That first alien earlier was a moment away from attacking him, he'd only stopped it by convincing the it that he was a queen too. The alien mind drove him to distraction.

So, here he was, leading a rag tag group of people through a city he didn't really know, so that he could get _Rei_ close enough to her safe location that the other aliens wouldn't be able to stop them. He had to take them _North_.

He could stop and ask her for more specific instructions, but the thought of that chaffed on his pride.

At the very least, he could ensure Alice's safety. One more weight off of his shoulders. Ironic right? that he felt happier with another useless person to take care of. Perhaps he felt that she was safest in his keeping.

But back to the problem at hand. After years in the darkness, Takashi's memory was nothing special, but his patience was limitless. He'd spent the last day studying a road map of the city until he knew all the major streets by heart (he'd thought himself paranoid, until today). The northernmost section of the city sat across the wide and deep Onbetsu river, forded only by two bridges.

He had to lead the other three to one of those bridges, through a city fighting (and losing spectacularly) with aliens and filled with screaming people running around like headless chickens.

But for the next ten minutes, mainly due to Takashi, the group managed to avoid any other xenomorphs. The bridge was still a few miles away, but the worst of the fighting was behind them as the aliens focused on the easily available prey. By now there were drop ships in the air as well, at least the marines were responding to the threat with suitable alacrity. Takashi didn't think it would do much good. He could already tell that the drones were dragging new hosts back to the queen.

Takashi's only hope was to escape beyond the alien's reach, not that bridges and rivers would halt the creatures for long. And he _really_ hoped that Rei's 'safe place' was a secure as she made it out to be. Otherwise they were all screwed.

"Can you lead us from here?" Takashi's voice snapped Rei back to the present. She nodded quickly, anything to get her mind of the poor souls they'd left behind.

They had moved quickly, but all their speed was for naught. The bridges were gone when they arrived. Well, not _gone_ per say, more like obliterated, with large chunks of concrete and durasteel debris lying in the river, causing the current to swell. In all likelihood, the military had rocketed the bridges within minutes of first contact.

The entire group, even Alice who was in so much shock that she could barely speak, stopped to stare at the rubble.

Takashi summed up their situation with one eloquent statement. "Well shit."

He turned to Rei. "Is there any other way across the river?"

Rei blinked. Before scowling and glancing away from the river. "Across the river?" She shook her head, "Boats aren't allowed, and the only people who have landing craft are the military and the hospital."

Rei noted, to herself, that her voice was rather dry and mechanical sounding. As if she were some kind of android. Huh, interesting. Her brown eyes grew unfocused, as she continued to stare at the rough asphalt beneath her feat. What were they talking about again? Something to do with rivers...

Takashi sighed, he did not have time to deal with this girl going into shock. "Rei," He took her by the shoulders. "Rei! Wake up!" He shook her. "Get your head out of the clouds!" When all else failed he let her go, and slapped her clean across the face. For a moment she stood there, blinking, and then she came to.

"... What the hell was that for!"

"Welcome back to the land of the living, princess." Was his only response. He gave Rei exactly ten seconds to remember what had just happened and compose herself. He couldn't spare any more time than that. "Look." He said. "Are you absolutely sure that there's no way across that river?"

Rei sighed and looked back towards the remains of the bridge. She was functioning better now that she'd gotten the obligatory mental break down out of the way. "Short of stealing a lander there's nothing we can do. And that would be impossible. We don't have the clearance, it's not the same thing as hijacking a car."

"Then we need to hole up for now. Get to somewhere safe." Takashi scanned the area, "Do you know anywhere hat we can find guns?"

"Yeah... Yeah! There should be some leftover weapons and ammunition at the East Police station! Even with all their men out on the streets they should have enough left over for us."

Takashi sighed. "First north then east. Well be running back into the south again next, won't we."

But they ran for the East Police Station all the same. It was a better option than sitting at the riverbank and hoping to be picked up after all. Rei got them inside the building, but it had already been ransacked for weapons, the police had probably taken all the guns when they had left. In the end, Rei only found an old shot gun and a hand full of shells.

"We could hide out here." Rei suggested quietly.

"Not a good idea." Takashi replied. And before Rei could ask he pointed to the foyer of the station.

Crouching in the entrance was an alien. It was bigger than the last one, Takashi noted, taller and more fierce. He racked a shell into the chamber of his shotgun, the action smooth as his body remembered the feel of gun in his hands. "Stay back," He commanded. Takashi handed Alice off to Rei, and the three females quickly retreated.

The alien screamed. It charged at Takashi as he braced the shotgun against his shoulder. Two short leaps and a bound. The beast was airborn, bearing down on Takashi like a avalanche.

Claws outstretched, maw gapping wide, the distance between the two shrank to mere inches.

Takashi pulled the trigger.

A few hours later all four of them stumbled wearily into the top floor of a large apartment complex, farther to the west. Booked to be demolished a month or so from now, the place was empty, but some of the rooms were still furnished.

Takashi had used what little ammo they'd had to kill the next few aliens they'd stumbled across. But at least they had made it to a 'safe' place in one piece.

They shut themselves into a room and barred the door. At the window, Rei could see the destruction that the xenomorphs had caused in a single day. The black carapaces of dead drones littered the streets along with the smoking husks of vehicles and abandoned firearms. But human corpses were few and far between. Broken glass crunched beneath Rei's feet as drew closer to the edge as she watched yet more aliens tear into a squad of marines.

For a moment she contemplated throwing herself from the edge. But a strong hand pulled her back.

"It's not over yet," Takashi whispered. "Look." Rei's eyes glanced where he pointed.

The North side of the city was still untouched. Gunfire from the north bank of the river kept the aliens at bay, and several landing craft unloaded refugees into the streets beyond. If Rei looked closely, she could even see crude barricades being constructed above the waterfront.

"It's not over yet." Takashi repeated, and Rei took strength in that statement. There was still a sliver of hope. If they could just cross the river, then they could survive. They could make it out.

But even still Rei had to ask... "So this is hell?"

"Not quite. But it's closer than I ever wanted to be a second time."

Rei glanced over her shoulder in disbelief. "How could this possibly get any worse?"

Takashi just shook his head, and looked up at the sky. "Just wait until the predators show up."


End file.
